


Persona: Broken Hearts

by Slimebo2



Category: Persona Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-11-16 23:20:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11263116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slimebo2/pseuds/Slimebo2
Summary: A group of seemingly regular teens are thrust into a conspiracy, in which the stakes are the highest. With their newfound powers, they must overcome the forces opposing them.





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a work of fiction. Similarities between characters or events to persons living or dead in your world are purely coincidental. Only those who have agreed to the above have the privilege of partaking in this story…

… _The contract has been sealed. The world is facing loss of heart. Forces work in the background, trying to create disharmony. You are a new light in the dark. It is time for you to plant the seeds of love._

* * *

The train stopped at Nigaruma station. A teenager exited the train and looked at the scenery. It was crowded like a city, but the flora was of a more quiet town. He took out his phone and looked through his contacts. Upon finding the one he was searching for, he called them. A voice immediately picked up and yelled, "Katsuo!"

"Hi, grandpa. I just arrived at the station," answered Katsuo.

"That's today? Your grandma and I are busy right now." Katsuo's grandfather paused. "Just go to the subway, and take the pink line, and after the third stop leave. We live fairly close to there. Okay?"

"Gotcha. Bye."

"Bye." Katsuo's grandfather hung up, leaving Katsuo standing idly in the crowd. With a shrug, Katsuo went down to the subway and waited for the train for the pink line to come. He sat down and brushed his hand through his short brown hair. Bored, Katsuo took out his phone and looked at the time. _7:00 AM, April 10, 2019._ Katsuo let a sigh escape his mouth. Then, a teenager sat down next to Katsuo.

"Ugh, my back is killing me," said the teen as he slumped over on the bench. The teenager was wearing a modified version of a school uniform. The navy blue blazer was unbuttoned, revealing a black shirt. His tie was a bit undone. His black hair a spiked slightly. The teenager looked over at Katsuo. "Are you a Kankei student?"

"I just moved here," answered Katsuo.

"That's why I don't remember your face. I'm Hinata Kimura, by the way," Hinata said as he sat up on the bench.

"Katsuo Ishikawa." After a few minutes of chatting the train for the pink line stopped at the platform. Katsuo got up and grabbed his bag. Hinata followed shortly afterwards. Once the train reached Katsuo's stop, Katsuo got his bag and began to walk away.

"Hey Ishikawa-kun," began Hinata, "see you around, I guess." Hinata shook his and got off the train to change lines. "He is one quiet kid."

The section of Nigaruma that Katsuo was in was less busy than other parts. Katsuo wandered around the area, looking for his grandparent's house. Soon he realized something. He was lost. He went into a flower shop to ask for directions. As he walked in, Katsuo noticed two people. One was the attendant working at the shop, another a teenage boy. The boy wore a dark purple t-shirt and black baggy jean. His hair was in a buzz cut as well. Katsuo went to the attendant and asked for directions. Katsuo thanked him and began to leave when he noticed something odd. There was an elevator off to the side. Knowing that is would be too much effort for something so small, Katsuo decided against asking about it. Walking out the door, Katsuo made eye contact with the boy for a split second, before the boy looked another direction. Finally, Katsuo made it to the house he will be staying in for a year. Katsuo set down his bag and knocked on the door. Quickly, the door opened to show an elderly woman. "Haruhi, is that Katsuo?" called out a familiar voice.

"Yes, Akimitsu," answered Haruhi. After a few seconds of silence, Haruhi spoke up. "What are you waiting for? Come on in." She motioned Katsuo inside. The house interior was rustic, with old furniture. "Your room is the second on the right, dear." Walking into his room, Katsuo noticed that the feel of his room is much different than the rest of the house. There was no real theming of his room, just furniture placed down. Katsuo threw his bag on the door and sat down on his bed. Suddenly, he felt extremely tired, and almost immediately fell asleep.

* * *

Katsuo awoke in a strange room. The lights were dimmed and of a blue tint. Getting up, Katsuo saw a man with a long nose and a woman with light blond hair and blue attire. The man was sitting at a nightstand, and the lady stood next to him. "Ah, you have woken up. Welcome to the Velvet Room," said the man. His voice was high pitched and odd. "I am Igor, and I'm humbled to make your acquaintance. This is Victoria. She will help guide you on your journey."

Victoria chuckled. "Charmed," she said.

"Allow me to explain. The Velvet Room is a place between dream and reality, mind and matter. Only those who agree to the contract may enter." Katsuo looked confused. "Now, let me ask a question. Can you define love?"

"It's… well... " said Katsuo as he tried to answer.

"Love is a complicated concept, indeed. But soon you will truly learn what love is."

"Oh look at the time. Now, go back to the real world, child," said Victoria.

"I look forward to seeing you again," said Igor as he waved Katsuo goodbye. Katsuo's eyes felt heavy and he went asleep on the bed in the Velvet Room.

* * *

_April 11, 2019_

* * *

When Katsuo awoke, he was in his room. "Strange dream," muttered Katsuo to himself. Looking to his side, he noticed some folded clothes and a note. ' _Won't be home when you wake up'. These clothes are your uniform for your new school. Your school is on_ _Kibō Road._ The note was signed by both his grandmother and grandfather. Katsuo put on his uniform and left for his new school. When he got to the subway station, Katsuo went to the rail map to figure out where he was going.

"Would you look at that," said a familiar voice. Katsuo turned around to see Hinata. "It looks like we're going to the same school after all."

"I guess you're right," said Katsuo. He noticed that Hinata wore the same uniform as him.

"C'mon, follow me," said Hinata as he started to walk away. "I'll show you where to go."

Kankei High looked like the average prep school. "Hey! Hey, Rio! Over here!" yelled Hinata. A girl walking into the school turned around to look at Hinata. "Okay, she saw us. Let's go." Katsuo and Hinata walked over to the girl.

"Who's this?" asked the girl as she raised an eyebrow.

"He's the new transfer student. Katsuo Ishikawa."

Rio smiled. "Nice to meet you, Ishikawa-kun. I'm Rio Ogawa." Katsuo looked at Rio's appearance. She had had short brown hair, with one hairpin on each side. She wore an altered version of the school's uniform. She wore a navy blue vest. And a short sleeve black blouse. Under her white skirt were black shorts.

Hinata laughed. "Since when were you this preppy?" Rio glared at Hinata.

"Oh, fuck off."

"That's the Rio I know," said Hinata as he lightly pushed Rio by her shoulder. Katsuo awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, that's right. You're a transfer student. Just go to the Principal's office, and he'll tell you where to go from there. Anyways, I'll see you around," said Rio ask she walked into the building, waving goodbye.

"Cya," said Hinata as he followed Rio. Katsuo walked into the building and the first room he saw was the Principal's office. Looking through the window of the door, Katsuo saw a man sitting at a cluttered desk. The man was bald but had a large scruffy beard, which was greying. The Principal wore a brown jacket, from what Katsuo could see.

"Ah, you're the new transfer student," said the Principal as Katsuo walked into the office. "Katsuo Ishikawa, correct?"

"Yes sir," said Katsuo.

"Now that we got formalities out of the way," began the Principal as he leaned back in his chair. "Your classroom is 2-E."

"Thank you, sir," said Katsuo as he got up and began to walk away.

"And remember you can come into my office anytime you need me," said the Principal as Katsuo walked out the door. As Katsuo walked to the stairs he saw a girl at her locker. She was holding a bottle with pills in it. She took one pill and swallowed it. She turned around and when she saw Katsuo her face turned to shock and slight fear but quickly corrected herself to a smile. She waved at Katsuo as he walked by. When Katsuo reached his classroom, he quickly looked inside. The teacher had just arrived, so class didn't start yet.

"Alright kids, quiet down. Class is starting," said the teacher. Katsuo quietly walked in the class. "So you're Ishikawa. Well, introduce yourself to the class." The teacher seems to be very relaxed.

"My name is Katsuo Ishikawa. Nice to meet you," said Katsuo.

"Alright, take a seat anywhere." Katsuo looked into the class and saw Hinata and Rio. Katsuo sat down in the seat behind Hinata.

"Wow, you're one lucky kid," said Rio. "You got the same class with the only two people you know at the school."

"She does have a point there, Ishikawa-kun," said Hinata. The school day proceeded as normal from there on out.

"You said you're living with your grandparents for the year, right?" asked Rio. Katsuo nodded his head. "Why don't we go and meet them?"

"Are you sure about this Rio?" asked Hinata.

"It's fine," said Katsuo. Katsuo lead Hinata and Rio to his grandparent's house.

When the three were almost there, something caught Rio's eye. "Oh, a flower shop! Let's get your grandparents some flowers!" yelled Rio.

"If it's fine with him, it's fine me," said Hinata. Rio looked over to Katsuo, who nodded, letting her know it was fine. Walking in, Katsuo realized that this was the same flower shop that he was in yesterday. Katsuo stayed at the door while Hinata and Rio looked at flowers. Looking around he saw the same boy from yesterday. "Hey Katsuo, check this out!" called Hinata. When Katsuo got to Hinata, he saw that he and Rio found the elevator.

"Where do you think it goes?" asked Rio.

"Most likely down." Hinata reached his hand out to the call button but was swiftly slapped by Rio.

"You idiot. Who knows if we are even allowed to go down there," said Rio.

"That's why you'll stay here and make sure nobody sees us, while we go check out what's down there."

"But I don't get to see what's down there."

"I'll take a video," said Hinata as he patted Rio on the shoulder. Hinata called the elevator, and when it arrived he got in with Katsuo. Katsuo noticed that there was only one button on the elevator. One the had a picture of a vortex. Pressing it, the elevator began going down, slowly at first, but over time sped up.

* * *

Once the elevator stopped, the door opened. Katsuo and Hinata got out and looked around. They were in a circular area, which had a pink tint to it. Off in the distance, there was a building, but it was too far to tell what it exactly was from where they were. There was a gate with a path the seemingly lead to the building. "What the fuck is this?" asked a shocked Hinata.

"I have no idea," said Katsuo. He walked up to the gate and began to open it.

"Yeah, maybe we can find out something about this place there." Katsuo opened the gate and they began to walk down the path. About halfway they could determine what the building was. "Is that a stadium? Am… am I dreaming?" Hinata shook his head. "C'mon, let's keep going." They were almost there when a mysterious figure appeared. Upon closer inspection, Katsuo found that it looked like a bouncer at a concert. However, instead of having a face, there was just a black void with sunglasses.

"What are you kids doing here?" yelled the figure.

Hinata laughed nervously. "We're just trying to find out what this place is."

"This is the great concert of the lovely Shaiwase Kimura," said the figure. Hinata's facial expression darkened when he heard that name. "What? Do you not think fondly of her?" Hinata remained silent. The figure took out a baton. "Say something when spoken to!' The figure hit Hinata with the baton, knocking him to the ground. The figure then continued to beat him. Katsuo tried to think of a way to save Hinata.

" _What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to save him?"_ said a new voice. Katsuo looked around and saw nobody else, and realized the voice was in his head. " _Do you think that your own life is worth more than his? He is one of your only two friends, after all."_

"No," said Katsuo quietly. The figure continued to beat Hinata, hitting stronger with every strike.

" _Good… I am thou, thou art I. Thou who are willing to sacrifice thyself for other are worthy of my name. Now burn thy rose and bring upon altruism!"_

"This will teach you for disrespecting me!" howled the figure.

"Hey, you!" yelled Katsuo. The figure stopped hitting Hinata and turned to look at Katsuo.

"Oh, are you with him? Then I will you down as well." The figure walked up to Katsuo, who stood still. Hinata struggled to get up to watch. Once the figure got to Katsuo, he swung his baton at him but was stopped right before by some sort of force field. The shock of the force field getting hit caused the figure to stumble back a few steps. Then, a rose floated down from the sky into Katsuo's hands. Without thinking, Katsuo threw the rose into the air and snapped his fingers, causing the rose to be engulfed in a pink flame. At that moment, Katsuo's clothes shifted from his school uniform to a black tuxedo with a beige undershirt. Then, a bright flash of light went off, and a tall figure appeared behind Katsuo. It had sleek white and beige armor, and it's helmet covered most of his face, besides his eyes. His eyes were bright blue. He held an iron shortsword.

"What the hell?" mumbled Hinata.

" _I am the hero Beowulf. Thy love the dwells within you. If thou wishes to use thine power for altruism, then I shall aid thee,_ " said the figure behind Katsuo.

"Yes... " said Katsuo.

" _Very well."_

"Who are you?" asked the other figure. "No matter, I will take you down all the same." The figure transformed into another creature. The creature looked like a blob of slime with eyes.

" _Strike down thy enemy before you. Turn thy heart into power and release it upon thee!"_

"Kouha!" yelled Katsuo as Beowulf unleashed an attack on the enemy, greatly wounding it. The enemy ran up to Katsuo and headbutted him, not doing that much damage.

" _Now, use thy blade!"_ Katsuo realized that he was holding a shortsword, similar to Beowulf. He swung the sword and hit the creature, causing it to turn into a puff of black smoke. " _This power is yours. Use it wisely."_ Beowulf disappeared and in his place was a rose. Katsuo took the rose and it disappeared.

"Let's keep going," said Hinata in an angry tone. Looking at his face, Katsuo noticed Hinata had a scowl on his face. "And I don't want to talk about it." Soon, the two made it to the end of the path. There were more bouncers there, all guarding the entrance. "Let us in." One bouncer talked into the radio, and after a few seconds, the bouncers moved to the side, opening the entrance for Katsuo and Hinata. Shortly after going down the hallway, they came across a wide open space. There stood a woman wearing flashy attire. The scowl on Hinata's face turned into one of fear.

"Oh, it's you," said the woman looking at Hinata. Her tone was one of disgust. She turned to Katsuo. "But... who are you?"

"I could ask you the same thing," said Katsuo.

"You're telling me you don't who I am?" The woman laughed. "I am the elegant Shaiwase Kimura.

"Elegant?" asked Hinata.

"How dare you disrespect your own mother!" yelled Shaiwase. "Do you forget that I am the one that birthed you! You should be grateful!"

"Shut up."

"What was that?"

"Shut up! I'll never be grateful for you. You're a monster wearing the skin of a mother. You hit me. You yelled at me. Prevented me from leaving."

"I don't like your tone," said Shaiwase as she kicked Hinata to the ground. She sighed and said, "When will you learn? I am the adult here. I get to do what I want, and I get to profit. While you get to sit and watch. I only hit you because you wouldn't obey. It was all for your sake after all," Shaiwase laughed. "Shall I beat you another time. I can always say you fell down." Shaiwase paused. "No, I have a much better idea. I'll kill your friend over there."

"No… please…" said Hinata weakly.

" _Are you just going to submit to her?"_ asked a voice inside Hinata's head. " _This toxicity isn't love. Allow me to help you overcome this challenge. You've gone through so much. Don't you think that it is time to rebel?"_

"You're right."

" _I am thou, thou art I… Now, get up and show her your true strength."_

Hinata slowly got up. "I'm tired of being told what I can't do." Hinata began walking towards Shaiwase. "I'm tired of having my decisions being chosen for me." Hinata's tone became angrier. "I'm tired of you!" Then, Hinata's clothes changed from his school uniform, to dress pants, a button-up shirt, suspenders, and a black bowler hat with a purple strip. A rose fluttered from the sky into Hinata's hands.

"Guards!" yelled Shaiwase as she backed up. Only one guard came running in.

Hinata dropped the rose, and as it fell is was engulfed in pink flames. "I'm counting on you, Houdini!" Then there was a bright flash. When the light faded, a figure was behind Hinata. It was wearing a long covering most of its body, except for its head. Its hands were disconnected from the body, floating and wearing white gloves. Its head wore a bowler hat and a smiling theatre mask.

"I'll protect you!" yelled the bouncer as Shaiwase ran away. The bouncer transformed into a creature with the body of a man with the head and wings of an owl. A rose appeared in Katsuo's hand, and he threw the rose in the air, snapped, and the rose was engulfed in pink flames. Beowulf then appeared behind Katsuo.

Hinata looked over to Katsuo and smirked. "Let's do this." The creature used an ice magic attack on Katsuo, knocking him down. "Whoa! Katsuo? You alright?"

"Just a scratch," said Katsuo.

"Alright. Houdini, Psi!" Houdini unleashed a psychic attack on the creature, knocking the creature down. Hinata released he was holding a sledgehammer. He ran up to the creature and slammed the sledgehammer on its head, turning the creature into black smoke. Houdini and Beowulf both turned back into roses and then disappeared into Hinata and Katsuo. "Damn, Katsuo. What the hell were those?" Hinata looked around the room and saw that Shaiwase was gone. "She got away… Fuck!"

"What the hell are you two doing here?" asked an unfamiliar voice. Katsuo and Hinata saw a strange figure. It was a skeleton surrounded in pink flames.

"Are you going to fight us? We'll summon our thingies on you!" yelled Hinata.

"You mean your personas?" sighed the figure.

"What's a persona?"

"The physical manifestation of your personality. Now, are you going to come with me or am I going to have to you back by force?"

"Like that would happen," confidently said Hinata. Five minutes later he was being dragged by the collar by the figure, with Katsuo walking behind them. "Okay, this only happened because I let you."

"Uh-huh," muttered the figure, not even paying attention to what Hinata was saying. Soon, the three made it to the beginning of the path. The figure went to the elevator, called it, and threw Hinata in there. Katsuo walked in afterwards. "Go up." Katsuo looked at the buttons on the elevator and saw a button with a picture of the earth instead of the first one. Pressing it, the elevator began to go up.

* * *

When the elevator reached its destination, Hinata got up and saw Rio. "Well, what was down there?" asked Rio. Katsuo noticed that he and Hinata were back in their school uniforms.

"She was there," said Hinata in an angry tone.

"What do you mean she was there? How could she be there?" asked Rio and a worried tone.

"I don't know… But I know we'll find out." Hinata smirked.

"Are… Are you sure?"

Hinata sighed. "Yes, I'm sure. And we'll take you down there too." Hinata started to walk away. "I'm going home."

As Hinata left, Rio looked at Katsuo. "What happened down there?" Katsuo explained it as best he could. Upon hearing the story, Rio had a face of disbelief. "Personas? I don't..." Rio sighed. "I'll have to take your word for it. Now, let's go to your grandparent's house." Katsuo and Rio went to Katsuo's grandparent's house, and Rio stayed for dinner. After Rio left, Katsuo's grandfather went to Katsuo and said, "You didn't tell me you already have a girlfriend."

"She's just a friend," said Katsuo. "Besides, I'm not able to pull something like that off in a day."

"You never know. You should probably go to bed."

"... Will do." Katsuo got up and went to his bedroom, turned off the lights, and lied down in his bed. "Personas, huh?" said Katsuo before her fell asleep.


	2. Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group goes in for round two.

When Katsuo woke up, he realized he was back in the Velvet Room. "Welcome back to the Velvet Room," said Igor. "This is a special occasion, as you have awakened to your Persona."

"Allow me to explain. This is all new to you," began Victoria. "Personas are a manifestation of one's personality. Some call it a 'mask'."

"Indeed, and isn't just you that has gained the ability."

"You're referring to Hinata, right?" asked Katsuo.

Igor chuckled. "Yes, your friend will be a great ally on your journey. You may find many hearts on your trek. Use their strength to aid you."

"I don't understand."

"You will learn in due time. But now, you must return to your own world. May we meet again another time. Suddenly, Katsuo's eyelids felt heavy, and he fell asleep.

* * *

_April 12, 2019_

* * *

Katsuo woke up, realizing he was back in his bed. "That dream again," he muttered. He got up and put on her uniform. He went to to the subway station and saw Hinata.

Hinata walked up to Katsuo and said, " Hey Katsuo…" His voice was sullen. "About yesterday." Katsuo had a concerned expression on his face. "That was my mom, or at least I think it was. Let's just say she's abusive… that's all you need to know. You… you don't need to stay with me and my problems, y'know?"

"You think I'm going to leave you after that?"

Hinata's face turned to show surprise. "You mean that? That actually means a lot."

_I am thou, thou art I…_

_Thou hast created a new bond._

_The strength of thy heart,_

_that creates love on thy journey._

_With the birth of the Magician persona,_

_I have gained the power of heart that_

_shall unlock true love and everlasting harmony._

"So… we going back to that world today?" Katsuo nodded in approval. "All right! Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Should we bring Rio along too? She might get a… what's it called?"

"Persona."

"Yeah that. Anyways, should we let her come with us?"

"Let her decide," said Katsuo as the train arrived. "Well, let's go to school."

During school, Katsuo, Hinata, and Rio met Mrs. Gima, their literature and art teacher. Mrs. Gima had a lecture about music in ancient history and complained about modern pop music. Once school ended, Hinata and Katsuo walked up to Rio. "Hey, Rio, Katsuo and I are going to that flower shop again."

"You sure about this guys?" asked Rio.

"Yeah. We're actually gonna ask you if you wanna go down with us."

"O-oh… I'm not sure. What if I g-get hurt?" stuttered Rio.

Hinata put his hand on Rio's shoulder. "If anything happens, Katsuo and I will protect you," said Hinata

Rio gave out a slight laugh. "I don't know if I should hit you or be grateful."

"Well, are you coming or what?" asked Hinata.

Rio sighed. "Fine, but if anything happens, you're dead."

"Yes, ma'am," said Hinata in a scared tone. Katsuo, Hinata, and Rio went to the flower shop. Once inside, Katsuo noticed the boy from before wasn't there. Hinata looked to see if anybody was watching, and then pushed the button calling the elevator.

* * *

Once the elevator arrived, the three went in. Katsuo pressed the one button and the elevator began to descend. Upon reaching the ground and leaving the elevator, Katuso and Hinata's uniforms transformed into the formal wear from last time. Rio looked around the area.

"Oh my…" gasped Rio.

"We were the same way," said Katsuo.

"Yup, and we're heading towards that place," said Hinata, pointing at the Stadium.

"Okay," said Rio nervously. Rio then saw Katsuo and Hinata. "Wait, what happened to your clothes?" asked a frightened Rio.

"I don't know," said Hinata as he shrugged. "But they changed when we got our Personas."

"... Okay," said Rio. The three then headed down the path towards the stadium.

Once they reached the building, two bouncers were at the entrance. "Rio, stay back," said Hinata.

"They just look like ordinary bouncers, though," said Rio in a curious tone.

Then the bouncers noticed the three. "You three, what is your business here?" asked one.

"Wait, you two were here last time. The ones that disgraced Shaiwase!" yelled the other. The two bouncers transformed into creates. They had the body of an eagle and the head of a lion.

"Oh, God… Oh, God!" said Rio as she began to panic.

"Calm down, we got this," said Hinata, trying to reassure Rio. Hinata turned to Katsuo. "Let's do this." Katsuo nodded in agreement. A rose appeared in Katsuo and Hinata's hand, and instinctively let go of the rose, causing the rose to become engulfed in pink flames. Beowulf and Houdini appeared behind Katsuo and Hinata.

"They… they weren't lying," gasped Rio. Beowulf tried to slash at one of the creatures, but the creature jumped back, dodging the attack. Houdini then hit the other creature with a psychokinetic attack, but it did minuscule damage. Then one of the creatures created a strong gust of wind, hurting Katsuo and Hinata. Beowulf and Houdini disappeared due to the two being damaged. The other create dove at Hinata and swiped at him with its talons.

"Agh!" called out Hinata in pain. He turned to Katsuo and said, "I don't think we can take much more of this."

"Hinata!" yelled a worried Rio. Trying to find a way to help them, Rio noticed something materializing on Hinata's back. Looking to Katsuo, she noticed the same thing on his right leg. Looking closer, she realized that firearms were the things materializing. An assault rifle for Hinata, and a standard pistol for Katsuo. "Guys, look! Gun!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Hinata. Then he felt a weight on his back. He took the rifle off his back and said, "Holy shit! Katsuo, check for yours!" Katsuo felt his leg and took the pistol out of a holster that had formed.

"You can use them," said Rio.

"Yeah," agreed Katsuo. "If we can hurt them while they're flying, we just have to shoot them down." Katsuo aimed his pistol at one of the creatures. He pulled the trigger, and the wing of the creature was hit, causing the creature to crash into the ground.

"Now it's my turn," said Hinata. He shot the other creature, knocking it down.

"You ready?" asked Katsuo, smirking.

"Hell yeah, I am!" Katsuo and Hinata took out their melee weapons and ran towards the creatures. Then attacked the creatures, which caused them to blow up into a puff of black smoke. Hinata turned to Rio and smiled. "I told you everything was gonna be fine. C'mon, let's keep going."

"Are you sure?" asked Rio. "We can just go back and never talk about this again."

"No… I got a score to settle."

"Ugh, fine," muttered Rio. "Where to next?"

"Follow me," chimed in Katsuo. Katsuo walked to the room from the day prior, with Hinata and Rio following him.

"Nothing…" said Hinata. Katsuo looked around the room and noticed a table filled with fliers. He walked over to inspect them. Hinata soon followed. "Wait, I remember seeing those. Whenever my mom isn't working, she's out who-know-where find out those pamphlets." Katsuo opened one to see if filled with phrases like 'She is kind', 'She is beautiful', and 'She will lead you to savior'.

"Talk about an ego," scoffed Rio.

"Guards! Those brats are back!" yelled Shaiwase over the intercom. "They brought that dumb bitch with them too!"

"She isn't pulling any punches," said Hinata. He turned to see Rio furious.

"Let's go," angrily said Rio. Katsuo saw another door leading further into the building, and began to walk towards it, with Hinata and Rio following him. Soon, they saw another bouncer. Katsuo did a hand motion, signaling Hinata and Rio to stop. Katsuo then crept up behind the bouncer and took out his shortsword. Then, he cut the bouncer at the back of the neck, causing it to disappear in a puff of black smoke.

"Woah," said Hinata. " I guess this means we can circumvent fighting those things if we stealthily knock them down." The three continued down a corridor, and upon seeing another bouncer, Hinata ran up to it and swung his sledgehammer at it, hitting it in the middle of the back. The bouncer blew up in a puff of black smokes. "Seems a bit odd that these guys were so easy, compared to the other two."

"I'm not complaining," said Rio.

"You're not fighting, either," added Hinata. Then, Katsuo stopped and looked at a door.

"You guys notice anything weird about this?" asked Katsuo.

"Just looks like a regular door to me," said Rio. Katsuo opened the door and walked in. When entering, he felt a change in pressure. Rio followed him and felt the same thing. "What the hell?"

"What are you guys going on about?" questioned Hinata He walked into the room and felt the same change in pressure. "Jesus, this room is freaky!" Katsuo looked around the room and saw it filled with supplies for a concert. Then the three heard a group of bouncers coming down the hall.

"Where are they?" yelled one bouncer.

"Shit!" said Rio. Quickly, Katsuo closed the door. The three stayed quiet, but as the group of bouncers passed the room, Hinata accidentally knocked over a stereo.

"What was that?" asked one bouncer.

"I think it came from the room," said another. The door to the room opened, and a bouncer peered inside. "Nothing," the bouncer said. The bouncer closed the door and continued down the hall with the other bouncers.

"He didn't see us," said a confused Hinata.

"We may be invisible in this room," said Katsuo. "We could use this to our advantage." The three then left the room, and continue down the hall. Soon, they came across a split. On one side was a locked door, with a slit for a keycard, and on the other side was a hallway leading a door that did not have a lock on it.

"I guess… we only have one way to go," said Hinata.

"Thanks, captain obvious," said Rio, causing Katsuo to slightly laugh.

"Shut up! The both of you!"

"Anyways, let's go." The three went to the room with the unlocked door, and when entering they noticed that nothing was in the room. "That's odd." Then, two bouncers came out of the shadows and hit Katsuo and Hinata with batons.

"Oh shit!" yelled Hinata as he and Katsuo fell to the ground. The bouncers put their foot on the backs of the two, keeping them on the ground.

"My, my. You two are really so stupid to come back here again," said a voice.

"Shaiwase!" yelled Rio in surprise.

"And you brought the brat with you too."

"A brat? I could just hit you right now!"

"Not so fast," said another voice. Rio turned around to see a bouncer, which then immediately punched her in the face, knocking her down.

"You're an idiot. You know that?" began Shaiwase. "You chose to go with them, and now you will pay the price. I finally have the chance to crush you beneath my heel. The only reason you made it so far in life is because of your looks, after all." Shaiwase kicked Rio in her side. Rio cried out in pain. "However, you do not pose a threat to me, so I'll make your death quick."

"No!" yelled Hinata. "Don't you dare touch her!"

"Oh, so you want to die first? So be it." Shaiwase walked up to Hinata. A bouncer took out a gun and handed it to Shaiwase. Shaiwase then aimed the gun Hinata's head.

"Stop it!" called out Rio.

"Shut up and stay in your place, you dumb broad," yelled Shaiwase in a fit of anger.

" _Are you still listening to her?_ " began a voice inside Rio's head. " _She won't listen to reason, and she will not stop until you are all dead. Why don't you just fight back? The love in your heart wants you to do so dearly. Are you willing to do so?_ "

"I am, Medea," said Rio in a hushed tone.

" _Now we can begin. I am thou... Thou art I. Destroy them with the strength of your own heart._ "

"You damn monster!" yelled Rio as she got up. She uniform shifted to a light-green full skirt dress and black dress shoes. "You don't even deserve to be a mother!"

"Her too?" asked Shaiwase in disgust.

"Sweet!" yelled Hinata. A rose appeared in Rio's hand. Rio let go of the rose, and as the rose feel it was engulfed in pink flames. Then a figure appeared behind Rio, causing a shockwave knocking back the bouncers on top of Hinata and Katsuo. The figure behind Rio wore a white robe, covering all of its torso and its upper legs. The sleeves of the robe covered all the way down to the hands. Its body was a green skeleton, and it had long, flowing, dark-brown hair.

"Guards!" yelled Shaiwase, calling for help. The bouncers transformed into creatures that looked like a floating Jack O' Lantern wearing a witch hat and cloak. The creatures also held a lantern.

"You ready for this?" asked Hinata.

"As I'll ever be," replying Rio. Katsuo and Hinata then summoned their personas. Rio noticed that she was holding a knife. She ran up and slashed one on the creatures, cutting part of the pumpkin. Beowulf and Houdini combined their attacks on one of the creatures, causing it to explode into a puff of smoke. The other two creatures tried to hit Rio with their lanterns. She dodged the first one but was hit with the second attack.

"Are you alright?" asked a worried Hinata.

"Just a scratch." Rio looked at Medea and then at the to creatures. "Garu!" Medea raised its arm and a gust of wind came out of the sleeve, hitting it and knowing it down. Rio then noticed that a revolver had materialized. She took the revolver and shot the other creature, also knocking it down.

"Ready?" asked Katsuo.

"Yep!" said Rio.

"Let's do this!" said Hinata. Then the three rushed to the two creatures and attack the creature with their melee weapons. In the end, the creatures exploded into smoke. In their place was a keycard.

"Holy shit…" said Rio as she fell to her knees in exhaustion.

"Rio, are you alright?" asked Hinata as he tried to get Rio on her feet.

"I'm just a bit tired." Rio smiled. "I've haven't so good in my life before, though."

"Wait, where did she go?" asked Katsuo.

"Must of snuck out while we were fighting," said Hinata.

"We should probably go home for the day," said Katsuo as he picked up the keycard.

"Good idea," said Hinata. "Do you need any help, Rio?"

"No… No thanks. I can walk."

"Are you sure?" asked a concerned Hinata.

"Why are you so worried about me?" Rio then smirked. "Is it maybe…"

"Maybe what?" asked Hinata.

"I have a feeling that this won't end well," added Katsuo.

"Are you so concerned because you like me?" asked Rio as she slung her arm around Hinata's shoulders, putting emphasis on the 'like'.

"What! No. Nope. Nada. Why would you even think that?" rambled Hinata in a panic. Katsuo and Rio began to laugh at Hinata trying to explain himself.

* * *

When the three returned to the real world, Rio opened her bag looking for her phone. "I should probably give you my phone number if we're gonna stop her," said Rio.

"Wait, you're helping us?" asked Hinata.

"Well, I do have a persona now. And besides, why wouldn't I help out my friends?" Rio looked at Katsuo and smiled.

_I am thou, thou art I…_

_Thou hast created a new bond._

_The strength of thy heart,_

_that creates love on thy journey._

_With the birth of the Lovers persona,_

_I have gained the power of heart that_

_shall unlock true love and everlasting harmony._

Rio took out her phone and share her phone number and chat ID with Katsuo. "Oh, let me do that too." Hinata took out his phone and did the same as Rio. Then Rio noticed something in her bag.

"What the fuck?" yelled Rio. She took out the weapons she had in the other world.

"Why are those in your bag?" asked a panicked Hinata.

"How the hell should I know?" Katsuo opened his bag and looked inside. His weapons were in there as well.

"I got my weapons too," said Katsuo calmly.

"Stop being so calm. It's freaking me out!" yelled Rio.

"Does this mean…" began Hinata.

"Why did you go The Gateway again?" asked a voice. When Katsuo turned to see who asked the question, he saw the boy from the other day.

"The Gateway?" asked Katsuo.

"That world you were in, that's The Gateway. Why did you go into again?"

"Because we want to know what the hell it is and why my mom is there," said Hinata aggressively.

"This is way out of your league, you know that?" said the boy. Noticing that the three didn't back down, he sighed. "Are you three really willing to risk your life trying to stop one person?"

The three realized that they can prevent Shaiwase doing any more harm with The Gateway. "If we can stop Shaiwase from hurting another person, I would risk my life for it," said Rio defensively.

The boy glared at the three. "Fine," he said, "but I'm keeping an eye on you see." The boy began to leave.

"Wait," began Katsuo. The boy turned to face Katsuo. "What's your name."

"Corazon," said the boy. The boy turned around and left the shop.

"Well… things are about to get more complicated," said Hinata.

"You got that right... " said Katsuo. The three left the shop and went their separate ways. Katsuo sighed. "What have I gotten myself into?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, but the first two chapters were finished a couple days before posting here. Updates will be pretty infrequent and irregular, so just keep an eye out for the next chapter.


	3. Preperations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang gets ready for their next trip to The Gateway

When Katsuo went to sleep, he found himself in the Velvet Room. "Ah, you've returned," said Igor.

"You have created yet another bond," began Victoria."Soon enough, you will have a small army of allies." Victoria chuckled at the thought. Then Victoria's face darkened. "However, soon you will be faced with a decision. Continue on the fool's journey, or stray from the path." Katsuo's tilted his head in confusion.

"I do not know what choice you will make, but I only hope you make the choice with your heart in mind." Igor looked at the clock. "Before you go, I will bestow upon you the velvet key. It shall allow you to access the Velvet Room, even while you're awake. Now, return to your world." Then, Katsuo's eyes felt heavy. Katsuo fell asleep.

* * *

 

April 13, 2019

* * *

 

"Fool's journey? Velvet key?" asked Katsuo to himself. Sighing, he got up, put on his uniform, and headed to school.

"Hey guys," yawned Rio. Katsuo looked at Hinata and Rio, who both looked tired. "Did you guys have any nightmares?"

"You too?" asked Hinata. "What about you Katsuo?"

Katsuo panicked. He didn't have any nightmares, but also didn't want to seem superior to Hinata and Rio. "Uh… yeah," said Katsuo as he rubbed the back of the neck.

"Huh, I wonder why?" asked Rio.

"It's because you're linked to The Gateway," said a familiar voice. Turning, Katsuo saw Corazon. He was wearing a modified school uniform. He wore a black leather jacket, black button-up shirt, white dress pants, and a navy baseball cap.

"What do you mean?" asked Hinata.

"If a heart appears in the Gateway, it needs to get out. Because you guys have personas, you are part of that world, which makes it your job to get rid of the heart."

"I'm not sure I follow," said Rio.

"I get it," added Hinata. "So let's get my mom's heart out of there."

"It isn't that easy," began Corazon, "we're going to need supplies."

"Like what?" asked Katsuo.

"Your weapons are shit, and you have no way to heal yourselves."

"How are we going to fix that?" asked an annoyed Hinata.

"I have my contacts."

The four found themselves at an underpass. It was covered in graffiti. Taking a closer look, Katsuo saw a man with a car. The trunk of the car was opened. Walking over to the man, Katsuo noticed his appearance. He wore a black suit, with the tie undone, and he wore glasses. He had combed black hair. "Hello?" asked Katsuo.

Startled, the man pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Katsuo. "Who the hell are you?" asked the man bitterly.

"Hold up!" yelled Corazon. "He's with me!"

"In that case," he began, "how can I help you?"

"Futoshi, these three need an upgrade," said Corazon as he took Katsuo, Hinata, and Rio's weapons out of their bags and placed them on a table next to the car.

"Hmm..." muttered Futoshi as he thought to himself. Then, Futoshi picked up the weapons. "I can work with theses. They'll be ready tomorrow."

"See you then," said Corazon as he walked away.

The next stop was an apartment complex in a poorer section of the city. As the four walked up a stairwell Hinata said, "what kind of shady back-alley doctor works her?"

"You'll see," said Corazon. When they finally got to the apartment, Corazon opened the door and yelled, "I'm home!"

"I ordered take-out for dinner! It's in the kitchen!" called out a voice belonging to a woman.

"You live here?" asked a confused Rio. A woman walked through a doorway, wearing baggy clothing, and her brown hair in a messy bun.

"Oh… You didn't tell me you had friends."

"Shut up, Ikue." said an embarrassed Corazon.

"So are you like his mom, or…?" asked Katsuo.

"I'm his guardian," said Ikue. "Found him alone on the streets a few years back. Took him in with the kindness of my own heart, and he's been freeloading ever since."

"Hey, I help around the house," said Corazon trying to defending himself. "Besides, there is something I need to ask you about." Without Corazon speaking, Ikue knew what it was about.

"You idiot. It's bad enough when it's just you. Now you got these kids mixed up in it."

"They got no choice! The kid's mom is in there!" said an angry Corazon while pointing at Hinata.

Ikue looked over to Hinata and sighed. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood… But next time you're gonna need to pay for it. Pick them up tomorrow."

"Understood," said Katsuo.

As Rio, Hinata, and Katsuo left to go home, Corazon stopped Katsuo. "Why are you doing this?" asked Corazon

"Doing what?"

"This. Everything. You don't have to do this. Hinata has his mom in there. Rio is a close friend with Hinata. I know the most about The Gateway, and I don't want anybody to die in there. But you… you have no connections to any us. You can just leave with no strings attached."

Katsuo smiled at Corazon. "But that would be boring, wouldn't it?"

Corazon snickered. "You're one interesting guy. You know that?"

_I am thou, thou art I…_

_Thou hast created a new bond._

_The strength of thy heart,_

_that creates love on thy journey._

_With the birth of the Chariot persona,_

_I have gained the power of heart that_

_shall unlock true love and everlasting harmony._

"Well, anyways, I'll see you around."

* * *

 

Once again, when Katsuo went to sleep he awoke in the Velvet Room. "You truly are a special one," chuckled Victoria. "To create so many bonds in such a short time."

"This shows your exceptional abilities," said Igor. "Remember, you can return to the Velvet Room when you need our services. But for now, return to your world and bring love to that hearts of many." Before Katsuo could ask any questions he fell back asleep.

* * *

 

April 14, 2019

* * *

 

When Katsuo woke up he checked his phone. He saw that he was now part of a group chat between him, Hinata, and Rio.

 **Hinat-cat** : Hey

 **Hinat-cat** : Heeeeeeeeeeeeeey

 **RioRio** : ?

 **Hinat-cat** : Where are we gonna meet up?

 **RioRio** : idk. Does it matter?

 **Hinat-cat** : Yes

 **Hinat-cat** : I dont want Corazon to be left behind

Katsuo smiled while reading through the chat. Realizing he should say something, he started to type.

 **Katsuo** : Should I be a part of this?

 **RioRio** : I thought u were sleeping.

 **Hinat-cat** : You are part of this group after all

 **Hinat-cat** : Anyways

 **Hinat-cat** : What do you think, Katsuo?

 **Katsuo** : The flower shop.

 **RioRio** : O. That makes sense

 **Katsuo** : Corazon seems to hang out there a lot.

 **Hinat-cat** : Plus The Gateway is there. Smart move Katsuo

 **Hinat-cat** : At 12 we should go there

 **RioRio** : yup

 **Katsuo** : Then it's a plan.

Katsuo put his phone down and got out of bed. He got dressed and took out a bag. Going downstairs he saw a plate on the counter with an omelet on it. A note was left on it. _Not going to be home when you see this. Made your breakfast. - Grandma_. Katsuo smiled and began to eat his breakfast. Once he finished, he left the house for the flower shop.

* * *

 

Katsuo arrived a half hour early, so he sat down on a bench while he waited. Feeling his phone buzz, he took it out and saw an incoming message for the group chat.

 **Hinat-cat** : Do you guys find it out that we have never really checked to see what the name for that shot is?

 **RioRio** : now that I think about it

Corazon sat down next to Katsuo and said, "Yo"

Katsuo looked over to Corazon and said, "Hey man." Reading the messages Corazon sighed to himself.

"Those dipshits."

 **Katsuo** : Corazon called you guys dummies.

 **RioRio** : the way u put it doesnt sound like him

"Tell them the shop's name is Rosemary," angrily said Corazon

 **Katsuo** : By the way, the shop's name is Rosemary

 **RioRio** : thnx

 **Hinat-cat** : Oh my god. We're idiots

"Correct," said Corazon through his laughter

 **Katsuo** : Corazon said he's proud of you two.

"You sure about that," said Hinata as he walked up to the two.

"How do you not know what the name of this shop?" asked an annoyed Corazon.

"I-I just never looked!" stuttered Hinata.

"Hey, no fighting," giggled Rio as she approached the group. "So… what's on the agenda today."

"Before we start, shouldn't we get Corazon's phone number and chat ID?" asked Katsuo.

"Chat… ID…?" asked Corazon while tilting his head.

"You don't what a chat ID is?" began Rio through a stifled laughter.

"You'd understand if you knew my circumstances," mumbled Corazon.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

"Anyways… let's make you one," said Hinata as he took Corazon's phone. Rio, Hinata, and Katsuo huddled together while making Corazon's chat ID, making sure Corazon couldn't see.

"We're done," said Katsuo while handing the phone back to Corazon. Corazon scanned through the account fully before speaking.

"... Why did you make my name Pussy Bitch?"

"I think it suits you," said Rio.

"Fuck off."

"You first."

"Wait!" yelled Hinata. "Before you two get into a swear-off, we should go over what we're doing today."

"Oh yeah," said Corazon. "We'll get our weapons from Futoshi, and then the medicine from Ikue. Depending on the time, we'll go into The Gateway."

"Sounds like a plan," said Katsuo.

* * *

 

The group arrived at where they last met Futoshi. Futoshi was sitting on a foldable chair smoking a cigarette. On the table were three piles, one for Hinata, Rio, and Katsuo. The piles consisted of their weapons, which were upgraded. "I knew you would follow up on our deal," said Corazon.

"When have I not," said Futoshi as he put out his cigarette. Katsuo took out his wallet and began rummaging through to see how much money he has.

"No need for money… this time" began Futoshi. "Consider it a gift."

"Thank God, I don't think I could ever afford this stuff," said Hinata.

Just then, a car pulled up to the five. Katsuo looked at the driver to see who it was and saw Ikue. When Ikue got out of the car she said, "I knew you would be here."

"What do you want?" asked Corazon.

"Well… I know I can't stop you guys from doing whatever happens in there, but I can at least delay it by taking you guys out for lunch."

"Well, I want to finish this as soon as possible," said Hinata. "But I am hungry."

"Now that you mention it," said Rio.

"Okay, we'll take your deal," said Katsuo.

"Wait, what about my opinion?" asked Corazon.

"Nobody cares Pussy Bitch," said Rio as she walked over to Ikue's car.

* * *

 

At the restaurant, Katsuo, Hinata, Rio, Corazon, and Ikue sat at a booth. Corazon ordered a steak, while Ikue and Rio had salads. Katsuo and Hinata has ordered burgers, as well. "So, what do you guys plan on doing in there?" asked Ikue.

"Well, the thing is," began Corazon.

"We're going to stop my mom!" exclaimed Hinata, cutting off Corazon.

"Your mother is in there?" asked a surprised Ikue. "It makes sense now." Ikue took out a bag. "Anyways, I got the medicine. Please use it responsibly."

"Don't worry, we will," said Katsuo.

"You think you can hide from me?" said a voice. Katsuo looked up to see Shaiwase.

"What are you doing here?" asked Hinata.

"I could ask you the same thing." Shaiwase looked at everybody. "I know you," said Shaiwase squinting at Rio. "The rest, however, I don't. Though you're just as bad as they are, especially you." Shaiwase turned and made direct eye contact with Katsuo.

"We're eating lunch here," said Corazon angrily. Hinata looked down to his feet.

"Yeah… can you please leave my friends alone," said Hinata, lacking energy.

Shaiwase leaned down and put her face close to Hinata. "Listen here punk," said Shaiwase, loud enough for just the group to hear. "You may be with your friends now, but when you come home you're not going to be lucky." Shaiwase laughed. "There is notice any of you can do about it, either. Oh, and you know what, you'll be moving to uncle's house by the end of the month, away from all your friends. Have fun until then." Shaiwase then walked away, snickering.

"Are… are you okay?" asked Rio.

"I'm more than okay," said Hinata as he raised his head. "She just gave me the motivation to stop her with remorse." Hinata stood up. "Let's go to The Gateway."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now there is conflict... and a time limit.


	4. The Puzzle Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group explores Shaiwase's Concert, and learn about the Gateway.

Once the four entered The Gateway, their clothes transformed into the clothes from when they awakened to their personas, except Corazon. Corazon had transformed into the skeletal figure from before. "Wait, you're that guy!?" yelled Hinata.

Corazon crossed his arms and said, "Yes." Hinata and Corazon continued to bicker while Katsuo took a closer look at the surroundings. Noticing a door next to the elevator. Katsuo walked over to the door and saw ten locks.

"What's this?" asked Katsuo. Corazon turned to look at Katsuo.

"Oh, that?" said Corazon as he walked over to the door. "I have no idea. It just appeared one day."

"You're a great help," said Rio.

"Shut up! I don't know everything about this world!"

"Guys!" yelled Hinata. Rio and Corazon stopped and looked at Hinata. "Let's focus on stopping my mom." Katsuo looked at Hinata's face. He noticed Hinata's expression was different from usual. Katsuo could tell the stress of going against somebody who had so much power over them was really getting at Hinata. "Let's get going." After saying that, the four began walking towards Shaiwase's area, with Hinata lagging behind.

Noticing Hinata, Katsuo slowed down until he was walking next to Hinata. "We're all here for you Hinata," said Katsuo. "Even Corazon." Hinata smiled at Katsuo, then sped up to catch up to Corazon and Rio, with Katsuo following.

Once reaching Shaiwase's Concert, Katsuo noticed a blue door at the entrance. Next to the blue door was Victoria. She motioned Katsuo to come over. "Follow me," said Victoria as she opened the blue door, and walking in. Katsuo followed her.

* * *

On the other side of the blue door, was the Velvet Room. "Welcome back Victoria," said Igor. "I see that the Wild Card with you as well."

"The Wild Card?" asked Katsuo.

"Oh, have I not told you?" began Victoria. "The Wild Card is an ability of all those who have accepted their contracts."

"Oh?"

"It allows you to wield multiple personas." Upon hearing that, Katsuo looked surprised.

"... You're telling me?" Victoria chuckled.

"I know it may take a while to understand, but in due time everything will become clear," said Igor.

"Now, your friends are waiting," said Victoria. "We can continue at another point." Katsuo's vision begun to fade and then turned to complete black.

* * *

When Katsuo's vision returned, he realized he was back at Shaiwase's Concert, and that the other three were staring at him.

"Earth to Katsuo," said Hinata as he waved his hand across Katsuo's face.

"Get your hand out of his face," said Corazon angrily. He slapped the back of Hinata's neck.

"What was that for?!"

"For fucking with Katsuo!" As the two continued to argue, Rio began to laugh.

"Guys?" asked Katsuo, looking at the other three.

"Oh, you came to," said Rio. "You just sorta stood there, staring into nothing." Katsuo realized that the other three couldn't see the door to the Velvet Room, or Victoria.

"Let's… let's just go in."

As the four walked through Shaiwase's Concert, they had a conversation. "So… are you not a human?" asked Hinata.

"Don't know, but I'm guessing I'm not," replied Corazon.

"Then… what are you?" added Rio.

"Again, I don't know." Corazon crossed his arms as he walked. "Anyways, I want to know the situation between you and your mom."

"O-Oh… Well," began Hinata.

"I don't think we should really talk about," interrupted Rio. Katsuo looked over to see that Rio had a concerned look on her face.

"No, it's fine." Hinata looked down at his feet. "My mom wasn't always like this. I guess it started a few years back when my parents got divorced. At first, she would get angry at little things, then she tried to run off all my friends… Which she almost succeeded at, if it weren't for Rio."

"Man... " said Corazon.

"Hmm…" Hinata looked up. "Now that I think about it, a little before the divorce, she started working with that 'Love's Eye' program."

"'Love's Eye'?" asked Rio.

"I've heard it's some kind of pyramid scheme," answered Corazon as he shrugged.

"After this, we could look into that," said Katsuo.

"Yeah, maybe," said Hinata. Just then, Corazon stopped walking.

"I sense something," said Corazon. He took out a short poke, around one and a half feet long, with a tiny blade. Pressing a button, the more of the pole came out from the bottom, and the blade jutted out, turning into a scythe. With that, Corazon began to run towards whatever he was sensing, with the other three following behind. Soon, they came across a group of six bouncers.

"Corazon, are you crazy!?" yelled Rio as she saw the bouncers. Corazon didn't listen to Rio. He slashed at one of the bouncers, causing it blow up in a puff of smoke. Then, as another bouncer tried to hit Corazon with a baton, Corazon shot a fireball out from his hand, hitting the bouncer and killing it. "Holy shit, he's got fireballs?" The remaining four bouncers looked at each other and then back to Corazon. They then transformed into fairy-like creatures.

Then, a rose appeared in front of Corazon. Without speaking, Corazon burned the rose and summoned his persona. His persona was sitting on top of a grey horse. It wore Mongolian styled armour and wielded a giant battle-axe. Its skin was white and it had a long black beard. "Genghis Khan, use agi," said Corazon. Genghis Khan slammed it's axe into the ground as fire surrounded one of the fairies with fire, killing it.

"Whoa!" yelled Hinata in surprise. Then, one of the fairies attacked Rio using some form of lightning attack. With a yelp of pain, Rio fell down to the ground.

"That hurt more than all the other shit!" called out Rio. Without thinking, Hinata summoned Houdini.

"Dia!" Houdini then healed Rio. She felt the pain from before wash away. 'Holy shit, I got healing skills?" Hinata looked over to Houdini, which nodded at him in turn. "Alright, Katsuo, your turn!" Katsuo grinned as he summoned Beowulf. Beowulf slashed at another fairy, killing it as well.

Rio struggled as she got up. "My turn." With her knife in hand, she ran up to one of the fairies and stabbed it. The fairy exploded in a puff of black smoke. Now only one fairy remained.

"Oh god, I don't wanna die," whimpered the fairy.

"Too late for that," said Hinata as he smirked.

"Wait, Hinata," began Corazon. "We can use this situation to our advantage."

"How?" asked Katsuo.

"We can get loot. Try it out."

Katsuo looked at the fairy and said, "I want an item."

"An item?" repeated the fairy. "I don't… I don't have anything on me." The fairy put her head down, beginning to accept her fate.

"That's too bad," said Corazon. "I guess you die now."

"Wait," interjected Katsuo. "Maybe there is another way she can help." Katsuo reached his hand out. "Join us."

"What?!" exclaimed the other three in unison.

The fairy pondered for a second. "You humans seem to have good intentions. I'll take you up on your offer. And by the way, my name is Pixie." Before anybody could say anything, Pixie transformed into a rose and floated over to Katsuo. Once Katsuo grabbed the rose, it disappeared.

"Wait a minute," began Hinata. "Does this mean you can use multiple personas?"

"I don't know," answered Katsuo.

"If you can… Holy shit," said Rio. Suddenly, the group could hear the sound of more bouncers coming, much more. "Uh, guys. We got to go."

The group began to run away from the oncoming group of bouncers. Soon they found a room, that made them hidden from the bouncers. "Okay, Corazon, I want an explanation," demanded Hinata.

Corazon sighed. "Very well," he said. "What do you want to know first?"

"What the hell this place is," said Rio.

"This is the manifestation of Shaiwase's true inner thoughts. She thinks of herself as an idol, and what better place to house those thoughts than a concert. And the Shaiwase you saw is her shadow self."

"What's a shadow?" asked Katsuo.

"A shadow is the suppressed self. The worst qualities of them. Everybody has one, well, almost everybody. From what I have gathered, to have a persona you need to accept your shadow. You guys inadvertently did that."

"Okay… what's she doing in the Gateway?" added Rio.

"When a heart is so detached from morals, it is sent here. Simple as that."

"What's the deal with those bouncers?" asked Hinata.

"Those are shadows too. Just lesser ones attracted to Shaiwase, who is stronger. Any more questions?"

"What about this room?" asked Katsuo.

"This is a safe room. For some reason, shadows can't detect us in here."

"Wait… So you're telling me that my mom is so evil, her shadow appears in The Gateway, which then made this concert as a holding place for her shadow?" said Hinata.

"Pretty much."

"Then how do we stop her?"

"First, we need to find the core." Corazon put his hand up, holding one finger up. "Where the most personal, and despicable thoughts are held. Then, we need to draw out her shadow to the core." Corazon lifted up another finger. "For some reason, shadows avoid the core unless they need to be there. Lastly, we need to give her shadow a bouquet." He lifted up a third finger. "This metaphorically brings 'love' into their heart. As cheesy as it is, it's the only thing that works."

"I knew it wasn't gonna be easy," said Rio as she stood up.

"Wait, before we continue, we should elect a leader," said Hinata.

"That's right," started Corazon. "Hey Katsuo, you up to the task?"

"Me? I'll try," said Katsuo.

"Huh. I thought you elect yourself, Corazon," said Hinata, jokingly.

"S-Shut up!" yelled Corazon. "Anyways… You better not screw up, Katsuo."

"I hope I don't," said Katsuo, as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, let's go find her core."

* * *

The group came across a lone shadow. Hinata tried to stealthily take it down but tripped. Alerted, the shadow transformed into another Jack O' Lantern resembling creature. "Shit!" yelled Hinata as the shadow closed in on him.

Without thinking, Katsuo went to summon his persona. However, instead of Beowulf, it was Pixie. "So he can summon more than one persona," said Rio in surprise.

"Alright, Pixie. Zio!" yelled Katsuo. With that, Pixie used an electrical attack on the shadow, doing some damage.

Next, Rio summoned her persona, and used garu on the shadow, doing severe damage. With the shadow down, the group ran all attacked him at once, killing it.

"I can get used to this," said Hinata.

"You're going to have to," said Corazon as he began walking ahead.

* * *

The group continued to travel through the concert, fighting shadows when they come across them. They came across a room with the title of 'My Fans'. Inside, there were people. The people wore ragged clothes, and the worked creating merchandise for Shaiwase. Suddenly, the intercom start. "My fans are my property. You do not have a choice. I decide what is best. Rejection of this will result in your termination," said the voice on the intercom, clearly being Shaiwase.

"Why the hell are there people in here? They don't look like shadows," said Rio.

"These are cognitive versions of people in Shaiwase's life," answered Corazon. "They aren't real.

"Wait… Is that me?" asked Hinata, as he walked towards the far end of the room. The was a cognitive Hinata, which looked even worse than the rest. There was a name tag, which states he was the 'Number One Fan'. On the table was a green keycard.

"You guys should just stop trying," said the Cognitive Hinata. "You can't stop her."

"How would you know?" asked Rio angrily.

"I am her son, after all." Cognitive Hinata looked the real Hinata in the eyes.

"We'll show you," said Hinata locked his eyes with the Cognitive Hinata for a second, before taking the keycard, turning around and walking away. "We need to keep going."

The next room the group came across had the title of 'Interviews'. On the inside, there were multiple monitors playing videos of people praising Shaiwase. On the floor was a blue keycard. Picking up the keycard, Rio began to speak. "Why do be people like her so much?"

"Her shadow is her suppressed self. Around most other people, she puts on a facade," explained Corazon.

"She plays nice until you get close to her," added Hinata.

"C'mon guys, I can sense we're getting close."

The third room they came across was labeled as 'The Dressing Room'. The inside was extravagant. The furniture was made of expensive materials, and the multiple mirrors we're made of silver and gold. Inside there was one shadow. Unlike other shadows, this one didn't look like a bouncer. It looked like a fancy stylist, but still keeping the black void for a face. Wherever skin should be, there was black, which was a lot due to the revealing clothes it was wearing. "Welcome back," said the shadow happily. Turning around, it saw the four. "Oh, it's you guys."

"Where is the core?!" asked Corazon angrily.

"Like I'd tell you."

"Then we'll be it out of you!" yelled Rio, trying to intimidate the shadow.

"Very well." The shadow transformed into a winged creature. It had the body of a female, with blonde hair. It wore a black unitard and leggings. She floated in a sitting position.

"What the hell?" muttered Rio, a little jealous over the looks of the shadow. But before she could do anything, the shadow snapped her fingers, casting a spell on Rio. Rio's eyes glistened pink before she absent-mindedly twirled her finger between her fair.

"What happened to Rio?" asked Hinata.

"She's been brainwashed," responded Corazon.

Rio suddenly ran up to Katsuo and attacked him, doing some damage.

"I think I know what to do." Hinata summoned Houdini and smirked. "Energy Drop!" Coming to her senses, Rio looked to her left and right, before looking back at the shadow.

"You're gonna pay for that. You know that, right?" said Rio angrily.

Then Corazon summoned Genghis Khan. "Cleave," said Corazon, as Genghis Khan charged at the shadow. His persona hit the shadow with its axe. "Alright, Katsuo. Your turn."

Summoning Beowulf, Katsuo yelled, "Kouha!" A light attack hit the shadow, causing major damage and knocking the shadow down. He looked at Hinata, Rio, and Corazon, motioning them to do an all-out attack.

"You guys are strong, I'll give you that," said the shadow. "What now? You gonna kill me?"

"Katsuo, her brainwashing ability can be useful," said Corazon.

"I don't think it's that great," huffed Rio.

Katsuo reached his hand out. "You wanna join us?" he asked.

The shadow chuckled. "Well, I won't die if I accept, so sure." The shadow smiled before she transformed into a rose. Once again, when Katsuo grabbed the rose, it disappeared.

"So… what's the name for that one?" asked Hinata.

"Succubus," answered Katsuo.

"Figures," muttered Rio. Then Corazon noticed a red keycard on one of the pieces of furniture. Picking it up, he inspected it.

"We got three keycards now, right?" asked Corazon.

"Yup," began Katsuo. "One from the 'Fan' room, one from the room with the interviews, and one from here."

"Alright! I can just tell we're getting close to the core now!" said an excited Hinata. "C'mon, let's get going!" Hinata ran off ahead, with the rest following behind.

Katsuo smiles. 'Seems like Hinata finally got over the anxiety of facing off against his mom,' thought Katsuo to himself.

* * *

The group continued to explore Shaiwase's Concert. Katsuo even acquired another persona, Mandrake. Mandrake looked like a feminine humanoid flower, to say the least. Finally, it seems they have reached the end. In front of them was a door with three slots for keycards on the right side. "This is it," said Corazon. "The core is just beyond that door."

"I'm guessing we need to use our keycards to open in," said Hinata pointing at the keycard slots. Katsuo got close to the slots, checking to see if they had to put specific cards into a certain slot.

"For myself. For the public. For my fans," said Katsuo as he read the signs under the slots, from top to bottom.

"Obviously, the one we got in that room with her 'fans' goes into the one for 'her fan'," said Hinata, as he put the green keycard into the bottom slot.

"For the public... " began Rio."I don't think a dressing room really shows anything related to the public."

"But, I've never seen anybody in the videos with the interviews."

"Yeah, you got a point." Rio put the blue keycard into the middle slot.

"That leaves the one for her," said Corazon. "Makes sense, considering how flashy that dressing room was." Corazon put the red keycard into the top slot. There was a dinging noise, followed by the door opening. "Bingo."

On the other side of the door was a stage. "So the core is the actual concert stage?" asked Katsuo.

"Seems like it." Corazon turned around. "Well, let's go back. We need to get the bouquet, and we need to think of a way to lure her shadow to the core." Corazon began to walk back and was soon followed by the others.

The four returned back to the real world. The sun was starting to set, and the four sat at the bench outside of Rosemary's. "How do we get her shadow to the core," pondered Hinata.

"Her core is a concert stage, right? We gotta make her feel like she's up on stage," answered Corazon.

"How do we do that?" asked Katsuo.

"I dunno, make her feel special?" It seems Corazon doesn't really know what to do, like the rest of them.

"Wait… I think I know what to do," stated Rio. "Just, meet me after school tomorrow." Before anybody else could interject, Rio ran off.

"Well, I guess we'll have to wait to see what she's come up with," said Hinata, as he stood up.

"Yeah," said Corazon before he stood and walked away.

"A bit cold, don't ya think?"

"I think he has good intentions deep down," responded Katsuo.

"Really? Well, I guess you're right. He is helping us. That reminds me after all this is over, you want to hang out? Like, just regular friends."

"Sure, I'm fine with that."

"Sweat!"

_Magician Rank Two_

"Well, see ya around." Hinata began to walk to his house. With that, Katsuo began to walk back to his grandparent's house, grinning.

"It's go time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost there, boys.
> 
> And Katsuo's current personas are Beowulf, Pixie, Succubus, and Mandrake.


End file.
